You would think that the name Claude Chabrol attached to a mid-1960s Eurospy thriller would guarantee at least an above-average sample of the genre, maybe even something comparable to the James Bond pictures of the era. Sadly, the opposite is true: "Our Agent Tiger" is one of the weakest films of its type, not even matching the standards of similar films that were made during that period by relatively anonymous directors. Though there is one interesting shot every 20 minutes or so, the film is often technically inept, with poor transitions from scene to scene (of course the full-screen, worn-out and badly dubbed current prints don't help matters). The script is incoherent to say the least (this exchange about sums it up: "I want you dead" - "Why?" - "I don't have time to explain things"). Roger Hanin has close to zero appeal as the lead; think more George Lazenby than Sean Connery here. Margaret Lee is always an asset, but she's given very little to do. This one is for die-hard Chabrol completists only. * out of 4.
4 Reviews
Pedestrian spy thriller with good fights
vjetorix11 November 2002
Roger Hanin is Louis Rapiere AKA the Tiger, his reoccurring character in several spy flicks. He beds the babes and gets beat up regularly but manages to overcome in the end and this adventure is no exception. This time he's up against a lunatic ex-Nazi type called Hans Wunchendorf, also known as The Orchid, who wants to rule the world with his master race (of course) via his evil organization.
The score by Jean Wiener is somewhat cheesy in the French music hall style and therefore pretty much forgettable. This is a middle-of-the-road spy adventure, not entirely without interest especially if good fights are one of your enjoyments.
The score by Jean Wiener is somewhat cheesy in the French music hall style and therefore pretty much forgettable. This is a middle-of-the-road spy adventure, not entirely without interest especially if good fights are one of your enjoyments.
AN ORCHID FOR THE TIGER (Claude Chabrol, 1965) **1/2
Bunuel197627 June 2010
The "Tiger"'s second adventure incorporates a few novelties – namely, color and an exotic setting – but it also downplayed the original's humor (mainly relegated here to the hero's omnipresent gadget-inventing partner – who also appears, albeit less prominently, in the first instalment). In any case, the film upped the ante on the villains' stake, as star Roger Hanin now has to contend with both a South American revolutionary regime and a band of neo-Nazis (named after the titular flower)!
As usual, willing girls come into play too and, in fact, The Tiger is made to be more of a ladies' man here: what seems to be an uncredited bit by Christa Lang (Fuller) once again at the very start, the would-be dictator's guerilla daughter (played by an Italian, Micaela Cendali) and, beguiling as ever, heroine Margaret Lee; the latter, who did several such films during this time – including one I just acquired i.e. O.S.S. 117: DOUBLE AGENT (1967) next to John Gavin – has her entrance actually delayed until the film is almost half over and, besides, she is made out to be a femme fatale, going by the surname of Mitchum no less, until exposed as a double agent {sic}!
The plot this time around concerns a sunken treasure (shades of the contemporaneous Bondian outing THUNDERBALL, peut-etre?), with which the baddies intend to finance the afore-mentioned insurrection and, by extension, help obtain world domination for the 'master race'. Chief among them is Chabrol regular Michel Bouquet (who, though allowing himself to be slapped around by Lee, is the one to finally blow her cover and, in one of the film's most effective sequences, even electrocutes Hanin!) and Assad Bahador (appropriately supercilious as The Orchid).
As with the first film, we get a number of wacky moments in the mix – not least the sight of sharks appended, as a warning sign, to several front doors of a fishing village (later on, one of these is X-rayed by director Chabrol himself, looking disheveled in an amusing and unbilled cameo) and, to keep the tiger connection alive, the two protagonists are caged and whipped as if they were circus animals (with Lee even decked-out in a skimpily fetching leopard-skin loincloth). The climax, in fact, takes place in Bouquet's zoo – where the ensuing shoot-out feels almost like a dry-run for the memorably subtle closing scene of one of Luis Bunuel's latter-day masterpieces i.e. THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY (1974)!
As usual, willing girls come into play too and, in fact, The Tiger is made to be more of a ladies' man here: what seems to be an uncredited bit by Christa Lang (Fuller) once again at the very start, the would-be dictator's guerilla daughter (played by an Italian, Micaela Cendali) and, beguiling as ever, heroine Margaret Lee; the latter, who did several such films during this time – including one I just acquired i.e. O.S.S. 117: DOUBLE AGENT (1967) next to John Gavin – has her entrance actually delayed until the film is almost half over and, besides, she is made out to be a femme fatale, going by the surname of Mitchum no less, until exposed as a double agent {sic}!
The plot this time around concerns a sunken treasure (shades of the contemporaneous Bondian outing THUNDERBALL, peut-etre?), with which the baddies intend to finance the afore-mentioned insurrection and, by extension, help obtain world domination for the 'master race'. Chief among them is Chabrol regular Michel Bouquet (who, though allowing himself to be slapped around by Lee, is the one to finally blow her cover and, in one of the film's most effective sequences, even electrocutes Hanin!) and Assad Bahador (appropriately supercilious as The Orchid).
As with the first film, we get a number of wacky moments in the mix – not least the sight of sharks appended, as a warning sign, to several front doors of a fishing village (later on, one of these is X-rayed by director Chabrol himself, looking disheveled in an amusing and unbilled cameo) and, to keep the tiger connection alive, the two protagonists are caged and whipped as if they were circus animals (with Lee even decked-out in a skimpily fetching leopard-skin loincloth). The climax, in fact, takes place in Bouquet's zoo – where the ensuing shoot-out feels almost like a dry-run for the memorably subtle closing scene of one of Luis Bunuel's latter-day masterpieces i.e. THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY (1974)!
Dynamite this movie!
dbdumonteil26 March 2017
If you're looking for something like "Le Boucher" or "Les Cousins" ,please pass by.It's Chabrol's second period ,between his promising debut ("le beau Serge" "les cousins" "à double tour" ) and his golden age ("Que la Bête Meure";"Le Boucher")In a nutshell,it's the director's transitional period ,and among his huge filmography ,a wise French cine buff would pass this up,if only out of respect for him.
Produced by Mrs Gouze-Renal ,François Mitterrand's sister-in-law ,and featuring her husband Roger Hanin,this is would be spoof on the spy thrillers of the sixties but it's not really funny ;Hanin is neither really handsome nor comic.The subject of the Nazis of South America trying to create a new pure blond blue-eyed superman was reprized by Michel Hazanavicius ,with much more satisfying results in "OSS 117:Rio Ne Repond Plus" starring highly talented Jean Dujardin.
It was the first time Chabrol had directed Michel Bouquet (who had also a small part in " La Route De Corinthe" ) and this is the only reason why you would sit through this bomb;Bouquet would later star in much more absorbing Chabrol works ("La Femme Infidèle" "La rupture " and "Juste Avant La Nuit").These are the ones to be recommended.
Couldn't care less directing ,confused screenplay ,poor acting(Roger Dumas ,who could have provided the movie with comic relieves ,is totally wasted),and Bric -à-brac borrowed from James Bond the Orchid replacing Spectre.And I sincerely doubt that Bunuel was influenced by the scene at the zoo for his " Fantôme De La Liberté"
Like this ? try this.
"Le Tigre Aime La Chair Fraîche " (the first installment feat.Hanin and Dumas ,James Bond girl Daniela Bianchi ,and mainly Stephane Audran as a diva)
Produced by Mrs Gouze-Renal ,François Mitterrand's sister-in-law ,and featuring her husband Roger Hanin,this is would be spoof on the spy thrillers of the sixties but it's not really funny ;Hanin is neither really handsome nor comic.The subject of the Nazis of South America trying to create a new pure blond blue-eyed superman was reprized by Michel Hazanavicius ,with much more satisfying results in "OSS 117:Rio Ne Repond Plus" starring highly talented Jean Dujardin.
It was the first time Chabrol had directed Michel Bouquet (who had also a small part in " La Route De Corinthe" ) and this is the only reason why you would sit through this bomb;Bouquet would later star in much more absorbing Chabrol works ("La Femme Infidèle" "La rupture " and "Juste Avant La Nuit").These are the ones to be recommended.
Couldn't care less directing ,confused screenplay ,poor acting(Roger Dumas ,who could have provided the movie with comic relieves ,is totally wasted),and Bric -à-brac borrowed from James Bond the Orchid replacing Spectre.And I sincerely doubt that Bunuel was influenced by the scene at the zoo for his " Fantôme De La Liberté"
Like this ? try this.
"Le Tigre Aime La Chair Fraîche " (the first installment feat.Hanin and Dumas ,James Bond girl Daniela Bianchi ,and mainly Stephane Audran as a diva)
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